Go South Coast, a subsidiary of the Go-Ahead Group, needed more control and flexibility over bus stop publicity displays. The operator is one of the largest and most diverse passenger transport companies in the UK, managing approximately 10,000 at-stop displays across its 6 bus businesses covering Dorset, Wiltshire, Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
To reduce demand on the design and commercial teams, the operator turned to existing partner Omnibus for a user–configurable solution with capability to accelerate the production of roadside publicity. The PDF output needed to be accurate, well-presented and reflect each business’s locally branded buses.
Well-designed print-ready files
We implemented the sophisticated publishing solution simplifying the creation of bus stop information displays. Southern Vectis was the first Go South Coast business to implement the solution in 2019. Following a smooth transition to software was rolled out to Morebus, Blue Star and Salisbury Reds in 2021, and Swindon’s Bus Company and Damory in 2022.
Go South Coast now employs just one member of the commercial team to create bus stop publicity for all 6 brands. Proofreading the information takes less time as data is taken directly from the operator’s timetabling solution. User configurable templates allow displays to be fine-tuned to the exact requirements of each brand, and the design team is only needed for the creation of initial template graphics as the PDF outputs are print-ready. Go South Coast customers benefit from well-designed and easy-to-understand at-stop displays, which include a stop-specific QR code for real-time departure times.
“There is a noticeable saving in time and human resource. Previously, we used a graphic designer almost full-time to put the PDF output into the template for every single stop. Now, after the initial set-up, I can complete a service change in a click of a button. From pressing the button to checking the displays at stop level takes minutes rather than days or weeks.” – Ollie Meech, Commercial Officer at Go South Coast
Increasing efficiency
By implementing Omnibus timetable publishing software, Go South Coast can communicate service changes quickly, easily and efficiently.
- 14,000 individual displays have been created between 2019 and early 2023.
- During the Covid-19 pandemic, a print job for 900 stops took just 30 minutes. The previous system would have taken 3 weeks.
- One person, instead of a team, produces roadside publicity for 6 bus businesses which all have different brand identities.
“We need to easily and quickly produce a significant number of displays which are accurate and visually attractive. The Omnibus timetable publishing software prints one display in three seconds per stop as opposed to minutes using the previous system. The solution is highly configurable and provides the control and flexibility we need to create customer friendly displays that meet the same level of quality produced by a designer.” – Ben Bartram, Schedules Assistant Manager at Go South Coast
